Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall is the symbol that recreates historical events in the country in 20th and 21st century. Actually the German capital Berlin, would be declared the capital on the 3rd October 1990 if the Berlin Wall had not began to fall down. The turning point however ended the Iron Curtain, and West and East Germany joined forces in writing the recent history of Germany.

If the "eastern" side of the Berlin Wall until the very end it remained a misshapen symbol of alienation, then the west wall turned into a master sheet and place of work for many artists - both professionals and amateurs. In 1989 the Berlin Wall with its odometer length was studded with numerous graffiti. All possible drawings of street artists and some even have a highly artistic value.

The Berlin Wall after its fall even turns into a profitable business. After the destruction of the Berlin Wall fragments of it were listed at extremely good prices. Many fragments of the Berlin Wall were bought in the U.S..

A block of stone stands even in the Microsoft Corporation, another was purchased for the headquarters of the CIA, and besides these two copies there are a lot more others.

The construction of the Berlin Wall and its continuous upgrading started in 1962 and continued until 1975. The final version of the fully constructed wall consisted of 45, 000 concrete blocks. The form of fragments of the Berlin wall aims to hamper attempts to escape from the other side. However, over 5000 people managed to escape to West Germany.

Among the best known cases are of the mass escape tunnel 149 meters long. Harry Deterling, an East German driver, abducted a train with eight carriages and managed to send 24 friends and relatives into the Wall in December 1961. Seven other passengers were not in agreement and asked to return to the East. Many of the escapes were in the early years of the Berlin Wall when tunnels were dug under the hated barrier. While attempting to cross the Berlin Wall between 125 and 206 citizens of the GDR, fleeing to the western part died.

Berlin Wall is the undisputed symbol of the complete failure of the communist regime in Germany. History reminds us how on August 23rd, 1989 Hungary repeals restrictions on its border with Austria and a large number of refugees from East Germany benefitted from it.

In September the leader of the DDR - Erich Honecker, resigned. On November 9th, the Prime Minister of the Government of East Germany, Günter Schabowski announced abolition of restrictions on exit from the German Democratic Republic.

A large number of eastern Berliners invaded West Berlin, which was started the dismantling of the wall of citizenship. Today in Berlin remains only a few sections of the Berlin Wall. They are located near Potsdamer Platz, near the Spree (East Side Gallery) and Bernauer Strasse.